Biodynamic Wines
Biodynamics is without a doubt the most loopy, far-fetched
and left-wing-greenie-hippie farming style in the world of wine today. You can
almost feel Tony Abbott’s eyes rolling around in his head at the thought of
drinking a biodynamically produced wine.
Biodynamics is essentially organics on steroids. Though of
course they would never use steroids, because they’re not organic, but you get
the point. The practice is largely based on the teachings of Rudolph Steiner
who was just a wee bit obsessed with trying to link the greater cosmos with
what happens on Earth. Hence you will find a lot of biodynamic practices linked
to lunar phases and cycles.
Biodynamics treats the farm (vineyard) as a single living organism or eco-system that is completely reliant and interdependent on each aspect of the farm. It ties in organic-based principles with the bio-rhythms of the Earth i.e. the timings of specific activities such as fertilisation are based on the belief that the moon and other planets have an energy force that affects soil, plants and animal life back here on Planet Earth.
The key steps of Biodynamics emphasise building soil fertility, and are carefully tailored to the particular property. They include :
-
Use of Biodynamic sprays to stimulate biological activity
in the soil, and improve retention of nutrients, such as animal wastes.
- Stocking with several different animal species to vary grazing patterns and reduce pasture borne parasites.
- Widening the range of pasture species.
- Planting trees for multiple purposes.
- Crop rotation designs to enhance soil fertility, and control weeds and plant pests.
- Recycling of organic wastes where possible, by large scale composting.
- Changing from chemical pest control to prevention strategies based on good plant and animal nutrition.
(the above paragraph was blatantly stolen from Millton Vineyards' excellent website. You can read more of their thoughts on biodynamics here:)
Does it Make the wine taste better?
Hard to say - but as we mentioned in our organics article, any winemaker/winegrower that has a strict quality control programme in place, and is focused on organic principles to build soil health over the long term, is unlikely to pump out inferior wines. The Bio-dynamic wines on our site are all of a great quality - Rippon Pinot Noir, Millton Chardonnay and Seresin Sauvignon Blanc.
Further Reading:
You may like to visit Millton's website as linked above or www.wineanorak.com which has a detailed overview of biodynamics around the world.